Romanian Basketball Copper Piedfort

This pattern Crown was issued by the Romanian Mint for the Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. What is most fascinating is the mintage, Just 125 pieces were ever made. This makes it one of the lowest mintage and scarcest Olympic coins ever made. It honours the Olympic sport of basketball. It shows two players jumping for a ball. The other side has the arms of Romania and the date 1996. This piece is struck in copper, but it is double the normal thickness or a piedfort. A piedfort crown is a rather large coin and it is in proof condition. We bought a large proportion of the mintage and over the years they are starting to run out. Especially now that we are getting interest from the former Soviet countries. The people have money and want to collect their own coinage. Remember there were only 125 pieces ever made in copper piedfort.